Fast Facts

Brandon's Goal was to beat his cancer and to help all kids do the same. Meeting that goal requires that as many people as possible are aware and knowledgeable about some basic facts.

More children die from cancer than from any other disease. (1)

The incidence of invasive childhood cancers has increased by 29% over the past 20 years.

38 kids are diagnosed with cancer every single day of the year; 14,119 per year. (2)

6 of those diagnosed-kids-a-day will die from it - that's over 2000 kids a year. (2,3)

Childhood cancer research is mostly funded through private funds. The National Cancer Institute spends less than 4% of its budget on research for childhood cancers. That is why it is so critical for childhood cancer foundations to raise funds.

The remaining kids diagnosed with cancer each year that survive will experience drugs and treatments designed for adults, and thus devastating their little bodies and minds, with potential impacts for life.

The pharmacy industry makes much more money from adult cancer drugs than childhood cancer drugs, so it focuses on producing drug therapies for adults. 4,5 We can help influence policies of the NIH and FDA so that yet another child doesn't have to die from childhood cancer.

Since 1980, the FDA has approved only one new drug for treatment of childhood cancer, compared to 50 for adults. Despite this significant unmet medical need, pharmaceutical companies have been reluctant to develop drugs for rare pediatric diseases because it requires making an investment in products that are unlikely to cover the high costs associated with their research, development, marketing and distribution. (4)

"'Off-label' use [of cancer drugs designed for adults but used on children] does not reflect inadequate scientific rationale for such use, but instead reflects the fact that the pharmaceutical sponsor of the drug has not conducted studies of the product in the pediatric population and/or has not submitted data to FDA for review. One reason data may not submitted is that there is a relatively small market potential for most pediatric cancer indications." (5)

Donations received by places like Seattle Children's Hospital and St. Jude's go to general funding. We don't suggest that you stop giving to those great institutions -- just that you include Brandon's Goal Foundation in your charity-giving, as our funds go exclusively to the research and family support for the leading unpreventable killer of children: childhood cancer.

References:1) Causes of death in children: NIH/Medline

2) Cancer Incidence Count & Death Count in children, 2007: Center for Disease Control (CDC) United States Cancer Statistics Incidence Count Death Count